Tag: author advice

What Can Theatre Do For You?

A Guest Post
by Benjamin Steele

Some time ago I was approached by my mum, Carolyn Steele, who wanted my opinion for a blog post. She said it was about characters, what makes them flat or page-leapy, and how we feel about our creations. She had to stop me when I started to ramble about Stanislavski, and we decided there might be a post in how an actor’s method could benefit the fiction writer. I would like to share with you how my experience as an actor and playwright helps my development of prose characters.

So you’ve got a character that comes off a little flat, a little boring—he’s just zis guy you know? I’ve heard all sorts of tips for giving characters a little more life: the most common being physical or personality quirks, and rich backgrounds that shape their development. While these are undoubtedly useful tools for both the writer and the actor, I consider them to be traps. These should be supplementary tools, second to the arguably most important influence on a character’s action: Dreams of the future. Continue reading “What Can Theatre Do For You?”

Anthologies (Part 2)

Last month I posted on the use of anthologies–book length collections of writing by several writers–as an optimal way for writers to break in, build “platform”, and promote their work and brand. This week I’ll examine it from the other side: the publishers, editors, curators, or whatever you want to call people who conceive, collect, and produce anthologies.

There are advantages to the “supply side” of this literary format, as well as the submission end. Hey, it’s a publication credit where somebody else provides all the content. It can help establish you as an editor and publisher in a pretty graphic way. There are few better ways to establish contacts with writers in a given field: not only by posting general calls for submission, but also as a “license” to contact writers of more prestige and request the honor. It’s an excellent promotional vehicle: just as you provide a boost to the various writers by the work of creating the book, you–and your line or imprint–benefit from their combined promotional efforts…and you can advertise your other works in the back pages. It’s a powerful tool for charities, causes, or communities: a large percentage of multi-author collections come out under some collective aegis such as a church, writer website, academic department, or cause like AIDS awareness or Breast Cancer prevention or Humane Society outreach. Continue reading “Anthologies (Part 2)”

Formula for a Romance Bestseller

The Kiss of Night
All romantic blockbusters should have smoking hot women and half naked men.

[This is a satirical article. If you want instruction on how to write a romance novel from someone who actually knows what they’re talking about, try this article. – The Administrators.]

In my last installment, I shared with you the formula for writing a blockbuster action/adventure bestseller. I really can’t believe you missed it, but in case you did, you can read it here. In this installment, I’m going to give you the top secret formula for writing the romance novel that people just can’t resist. That includes the people in Hollywood. They’re going to be banging down your door to get their hands on this one, so watch out. I hope you’re prepared for all that fame and fortune, because it’s coming!

What makes me think I can tell you how to do this? Well, sure, I haven’t actually written a romance novel, but there is romance in my novels. Also, they filmed Failure to Launch and The Wedding Crashers right near where I lived. Not good enough? I’ve won awards, for crying out loud. Whether they have anything to do with writing doesn’t matter, really. They’re awards. Be impressed and shut up.

Now let’s get to it. Follow my advice below, and you’ll be Hollywood-bound, my friend!

Continue reading “Formula for a Romance Bestseller”

Take a Break – Really

Are you like me? Have you been getting bogged down on e-mails, posts, following, commenting and everything else except getting your work in progress moving forward? Or maybe it is progressing, but not as well as you think it ought to. I really had planned to have my third installment of Earth’s Pendulum out by the end of 2012. Yeah, right. Not by a long shot. Continue reading “Take a Break – Really”